Autumn break: beach abroad or stay in Norway?

More Norwegians than ever say they will either travel abroad or holiday in other parts of Norway this autumn.

Of the total 34% of Norwegians who are planning to take autumn holidays this year, more than half have indicated that they will travel abroad, figures from a new population survey show.

The 54% of Norway’s autumnal holidaymakers will visit another country, according to the Enterprise Foundation of Norway, or Virke.

Sunbathing and swimming in the sea are mentioned as being the most important purposes and prerequisites for the holiday, 31% of them say.

“We move the summer feeling as far into the autumn as we can,” says Astrid Bergmål, the new head of Virke Travel Abroad. “We see a tendency for the summer vacation to extend until the autumn holiday and save some holiday days with a sun guarantee before the winter sets in.”

She adds that new rules on package tours that entered into force on July 1 mean that those travelling on a package tour or compound trip this autumn, for example through a travel agency, have “a particularly good safety net”.

“The tour operator is now responsible for the entire journey and you don’t risk, for example, being landed with a prepaid hotel bill if the plane is cancelled,” Bergmål explains.

A break in Norway
More and more Norwegians are also using their own country to go on holiday, Bergmål says.

“For the purpose of a holiday, we see a strong increase in those who will visit sights, museums and exhibitions during the autumn break. This has increased from 6% last year to 14% this year.”

As with everyone else across the globe, for Norwegians, experiences – whether it’s museums, exhibitions or attractions – are gaining in popularity, and the range of them in Norway “has steadily become so wide that there’s something for everyone,” says Line Endresen Nordmann, director at Virke for Norwegian travel and culture.

“Especially, the autumn holiday is the time when many people choose to spend a few days on a combination of cultural activities,” she says.